Improvement in roofs



Nite Sterns Parentamen..

VALENTIN LASSERItE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.y

IMPROVEMENT IN accts.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,4150. dated January20,1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VALENTIN Litssnnnn, of Paris, France, have inventedan VImprovement in Metallic and other Coverings for Buildings, Domes,Vagons, &c., of which the following is a specication.

My improvements consist in a new manner of attaching the metallic sheetsin these kinds of coverings, by which the necessity of soldering and thedefectiveness of joining' are obviated, and leakage, breakage of solder,Src., avoided without involving the necessity of any cha-nge in thecarpentry or form on which the roofing is applied. This newsystem may beapplied to all kinds of plate or sheet roon g, as will be seen by thefollowing description, though the accompanying drawings naturallyrepresent its embodiment in metallic coverings.

Figure l shows in perspective a rooting einbodying my improvements, oneside of which I have represented as a covering of zine applied on awooden framing or bed, and the other a covering of sheet-iron applied ona-n iron frame-work. Figs. 2 and 3 show in detail the manner of unitingthe pal-ts in the case of the construction iirst mentioned. Figs. et and5 showin detail the j unetion of the parts for the latter construction.Fig. 6 represents in detail aV third arrangement, which is appliedprincipally to provisional or temporary coverings.

As may observed, my system of attachment is composed of screws or boltsXed in the wood or in the iron forming a frame-work for the covering,and passing into a capsule or washer of nearly spherical form, whichmust prevent the water from penetrating, and which communicates thepressure of the screw to the plates at the. joint. Before putting thepieces in their places, I prepare each one ot' the metallic sheets ofwhich the roofing is to be made, and at the point where theylap overeach other by embossing or striking up 'the plates around where the boltor screw goes through them, in suoli a manner that they penetrate eachother, and form a raised portion, convex on the upper side, and nearlyin the same shape as the washer B, which I afterward place over it.After having put the washer in place, I pass the screw or bolt C throughthe hole made for this purpose in the washer and in the raised portionsof the plates. A conical form may be given to the head of the screw orbolt C, (Represented in Fig. 5.) The washer is then threaded at the top,and receives a cap, D, which screws over and hermetically closes theopening for the screw. In temporary coverings I content myself withputting over the washer a very thin sheet of metal, which I fasten withan iron orbrass wire, as shown in Fig. 6. rIhe head of the screw or boltmay also be made in a square form, C, Fig. 5, with a groove in the underside, into which the top of the washer closely tits. This head thenreplaces the cap D, and closes itself the opening in the washer. Insteadof embossing up both the sheets of metal where the bolts or. screws passthrough, the lower sheet may be left flat, and the upper one onlyembossed, Fig. 6, in which case I solder a small metallicplate, a littlelarger than the base of the washer around the passage for the screw, insuch a manner that the washer shall press equally upon its wholesurface. Ve see in all these arrangements that the water cannotpenetratethrough the joints of the screws or of the washers, and consequently therooiin g is found to remain in good condition, as the result of thesolidity of this system of putting the parts together.

l can omit the practice which involves a good deal of labor to put themin place. For this purpose I divide the sheets of zinc into pieces ott'equal size. This division made, I put them together vertically, vasshown in Fig. 7, and horizontally, as shown in Fig. l.

I can also make coverings in plates of castiron and other metals runningto least possible thickness. These plates may be of all dimensions. Isuggest that they may'properly be about twenty inches square, and castwith a flange at right angles to 'it ot' five-tenths of an inch (more orless) on two parallel sides. They will be fastened with two washers withscrews. It is necessary, at the time they are cast, to provide twobosses or enlargments,

which are located at equal distance from the l.

border, and at an inch and a half from the edge oi' the upper plate. Todiminish the expense, the washers may be cast with the plates. Iheplates maybe run in glass, manufactured of porcelain, of earthenware, orof terracotta. Marble and stone may be usefully employed in themanufacture of these plates; but it is necessary that their qualityshould permit them to be worked in a manner to reduce them to such athickness that they shall not load the frame which supports them tooheavily, and that the water shall not pass through them. In cutting themit is necessary to preserve the enlargements or washers. The coveringsmade with these materials present, in their employment, a greatinconvenience in case of repair, to prevent which I proceed as follows:I place at rst on one of the edges of the building a row of glass orother plates. The second range is formed of plates of cast-iron, Zinc,copper, or other materials; the third and fourth ranges of plates ofglass or other material; the fth range as the second, and so on in sucha manner that bypassing on the portion of the roofin g which shall havebeen covered with zinc, cop per, or other metals the workman may proceedt0 the work of repairing. The rows of plates will be supported bybrackets, nailed or screwed to the carpentry or frame-work, and coveredas at present. In the coverings of steeples, domes, and otherconstructions with rapid descent I subject the raised portion or bossesto a modification, which consists in giving to them the enlarged orbell-mouthed form ot the washer at the top, for it is probable that thewater of the rain will pass between the metal covering and the washers.

Then this enlargement will prevent the water from introducing itselfthrough the bosses or raised portions. It may escape by the smallopening made at the lower part of the washer, which involves noinconvenience.

My invention may also be applied to coverings of corrugated sheet-ironwithout changing the general construction and arrangement.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and the manner ofputting it into practice, I desire that it be well understood that I donot limit myself to the forms, dimensions, and arrangements that I haverepresented and described, but Yreserve the right to modify the same asshall be found useful in practice.

I claim- The combination of the raised portion or boss made upon theupper or both plates, the screw or bolt G, and the washer B, the openingin the side washer being closed at the top by a cap, D, or by othermeans which shall an` swer the purpose.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification beforetwo subscribing witnesses. v

VTIN. LASSERRE. Witnesses:

E. MICHAUD. J AMES W. BRooKs.

